The invention relates to an apparatus for handling sheet metal items comprising a declustering station for such items arriving in a stack followed by at least one conveying station and/or processing station and/or working station, which convey away, process and work the sheet metal items, at one station at least there being individual members to be adapted to the outline of the items, as for instance positioning abutments.
Such an apparatus is employed for the mass production of sheet metal parts, as for instance in connection with a press receiving such items. In this respect between the declustering station and the press it is possible for a washing station for example be installed for washing the sheet metal items, an oiling station for the application of an oil film and a positioning station, in which the sheet metal items are moved into the right position prior to transfer into the press. In these treatment stations and in the declustering station the individual members are located, which must be set to the shape or outline of the respective sheet metal items arriving in an already cut condition in the declustering station. In this respect it is a question of, for example, positioning abutments more particularly in the declustering station and in the centering station, of members setting the pressure and/or the amount of the washing fluid employed in the washing station or spraying nozzles arranged in the oil applying station for the oil, which produce the respectively required spray pattern on the respective sheet metal item. Furthermore feed conveying means for the sheet metal items are present between the said stations, such means being able to be termed conveying stations. In this case as well adaptation to the to the shape of the sheet metal items may be necessary, as for example when it is a question of conveyor belts, which are divided up into a plurality of narrower individual belts, whose distance apart must be reset.
It will be clear that the invention is not limited to this apparatus, which is only indicated for the sake of example. In fact the invention will apply to all such apparatus, in the case of which the sheet metal items in the course of processing to yield finished components meet with some sort of individual members, which in some way or other contribute to the processing of the sheet metal items as same are converted into finished sheet metal components and in this respect must be adjusted to the outline or shape of the sheet metal items.
Such adjustment is normally performed by hand prior to the start of sheet metal component manufacture. If there is a change-over to the manufacture of other sheet metal components, it is necessary for the apparatus to be retooled.
This is however a task which is heavy on labor, more particularly when it is a question of small production runs.
Accordingly one object of the present invention is to provide a device of the initially described type in the case of which adaptation of the individual members takes place in a substantially simpler fashion.
In order to achieve these and/or other objects appearing from the present specification, claims and drawings, in the present invention there is an outline detecting means with an associated data processing computer for finding the outline of the sheet metal items, power-operated setting means being associated with the individual members, said power-operated setting means being connected with a setting computer, said data processing computer processing the outline data obtained to produce setting values and the setting computer converting the setting values into control signals for the setting means so that the individual members are adapted to the respective sheet metal item outline.
It is in this manner that, by means their setting means and under the control of a computer, the individual member are adapted to the sheet metal items of the respective stack of sheet metal items. This may take place automatically if the data processing computer is constituted by a computer unit, within which the setting values are automatically converted into the control signals. When the first stack of sheet metal items meets with the first outline detecting means, the apparatus will, as it were, program itself.
The data processing computer and the setting computer may also be separate from each other so that either the data processing computer comprises a data output issuing the setting values on data medium able to be read by the setting computer and the setting computer having a reading means for reading the data medium or the data processing computer converting the setting values into a form able to be read by the person operating the apparatus and the setting computer having an input means for the manual input of the setting values. In these cases it is necessary for the operator to be active, since he has to put the data medium, as for instance a diskette, in the setting computer or has to perform input of such setting values to the setting computer. However in this case as well slow retooling operations no longer occur.
Once the individual members are set, it is possible for the outline detecting means to be switched off as long as the apparatus is handling the same sheet metal items. It may however remain continuously in operation or be switched on intermittently at those points in time, at which a new stack of sheet metal items arrives.
In this connection it is possible for there to be a provision such that the data processing computer comprises a comparison means for the comparison of the position and/or outline of the sheet metal items with the previous stack of sheet metal items, it being possible for the comparison means to be connected with a recognition means, which responds when a departure is detected during comparison and informs the environment of the departure.
It is in this manner that it is possible to automatically detect when one of the sheet metal items has been placed in the apparatus in the wrong manner by error.
The outline detecting means is then preferably constituted by a camera system.